Try these welder’s eye burn home remedies to ease your pain and know when should you consider the injury serious!
A corneal burn injury occurs when your eyes are accidentally exposed to bright ultraviolet radiation. It can happen when you view the sun or a solar eclipse directly, or from the reflection of the sun on water or snow, or a photographer’s flood lamps, a tanning sun lamp, or a halogen desk lamp. The most common cause of such burns is from welders torches; hence, it is called a welder’s eye burn or arc eye or flash burn.
Welding is infamous in the list of hazardous occupations. Usually, welders are advised to wear protective gear to shield their eyes during welding. The intense arc of light, which is emitted during welding, can cause surface burn injuries in the eye. The welding arc releases ultraviolet radiation, which burns the cornea (outermost layer of the eye) and causes it to become red and inflamed. The severity of the burn depends on the duration of exposure to the light, distance from the light, and the ray’s’ angle of penetration.
Symptoms of the burn typically appear 6 to 12 hours after the exposure to the radiation and may include:
- Watery and reddened eyes.
- Mild to intense pain.
- Swelling in the eyes.
- Blurred vision.
- Gritty feeling in the eyes.
- Sensitivity to light.
Usually, the cornea repairs itself within two days without scarring, but serious burns can lead to infections and vision loss.
Treatment suggestions and points to note:
- Wash your hands before touching your eyes to avoid infection.
- Wear dark colored glasses or sunglasses if your eyes are sensitive to light.
- Take over the counter pain medication such as paracetamol or ibuprofen after consulting a doctor.
- Use over the counter eye lubricants to ease the irritation.
- Do not wear contact lenses until your eyes heal.
- Do not drive.
- Avoid going out in the sun.
- In addition, drink plenty of water to prevent dryness in your eyes.
- Avoid watching television and reading and give proper rest to your eyes.
- Applying warm or cold compresses also help soothe the irritation.
- Your doctor may place dressings on your eyes to rest them and speed up healing.
- He may also prescribe antibiotic drops to ward off infection and mild steroids to reduce inflammation.
- Dilating drops may be used to examine your eyes. These relax your eye muscles and help ease the pain.
- It is essential to review your eyes after 48 hours to ascertain if they are healing and not infected.
Welder’s Eye Burn Home Remedies
1. Milk
Milk has enzymes that ease pain and irritation and also reduce swelling. Dip a cotton ball in the boiled and cooled milk and apply to the eye area. Wash after 5 minutes and repeat twice a day.
2. Teabags
Tea has antioxidants that help reduce inflammation. Place a used cold tea bag over the affected eye for a few minutes several times a day to get relief.
3. Vicks ointment
Applying it under the eyes makes your eyes watery and therefore, washes out irritants. It helps ease discomfort. However, it’s essential that you avoid getting it into your eyes at any cost.
4. Rosewater
Dip a cotton ball in cold rose water and place it on your eye for 10 minutes. It helps relieve the itchiness and swelling.
5. Potato/Cucumber
Potato helps lessen swelling and itchiness. Cucumber helps cool your eye and soothes itchiness and dryness. Grate a potato, wrap it in a clean cloth and leave it to cool in the refrigerator. Place it on your affected eye for 15 minutes. Place cold cucumber slices on your eyes for a few minutes to obtain relief. You can repeat both these treatments 2 or 3 times a day.
6. Aloe Vera
It has anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties, which alleviate the discomfort in your affected eye and prevent infection. Dip a cotton ball into a cold mixture of aloe Vera gel and water and place it on your eye for 10 minutes. Repeat twice or thrice a day
7. Bananas
Mash a banana and apply the pulp on your closed eyelid. Leave it for 5 minutes, then rinse with plain water. The nutrients in banana help lessen inflammation and refresh the eyes.
Precautions
- Long term exposure to UV radiation can result in cataracts leading to loss of vision.
- Prevention is always better than cure. Wearing goggles made to Australian standards and a welder’s mask is a must to protect your eyes and prevent such injuries. Wear sunglasses when going out in the sun.
- Seek medical help if the pain worsens, your vision is blurred, or you see flashing spots or lights.